Timing chain issues? Years?

[bwright1818]

A friend of mine is considering a Ranger as opposed to doing what everyone else seems to be doing these days...Tacoma. I told him I'd ask...What range of years did the Ranger have the fatal timing chain or guide issues? I'd hate to play up the Ranger as the greatest truck ever (my opinion) only to have him lunch his engine...

 

[swynx]

Just tell him to get a 4.0 ohv engine and hell be good to go

Far as your answer. I remember there were problems with early sohc 4.0. Believe there is a little in the tech section on it.

 

[adsm08]

It's mostly 01 to 05 or 06.

 

[Dune Runner]

One reason I bought a 99. I like push rods.

 

[adsm08]

One reason I bought a 99. I like push rods.

Agreed. OHC engines are nice for some things. Ease of service is not one of them.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Agreed. OHC engines are nice for some things. Ease of service is not one of them.

OHC isn't bad, OHV covered with bandaids until they are OHC is where they tend to suck.

 

[adsm08]

OHC isn't bad, OHV covered with bandaids until they are OHC is where they tend to suck.

My biggest issue with OHC engines is that the tend to be interference and I don't like interference engines. There is just something about an engine that can destroy itself completely by the failure of a single part that seems.. well.... stupid.

I also don't like how hard it is to verify the timing of the cams since most can be off a tooth one way or the other and be ok to run, but not run right and you have to spin the engine 400 some times to get the marks to line up again. On a pushrod engine you only have to go twice.

I do like how much less involved it is to swap out lifters and some of the trick stuff that can be done with cam timing is pretty cool too.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

There are tons of "single parts" that can break and kill even a OHC engine.

At least Ford usually uses chains for interferance engines.

I just drive my OHC engines, never had to time one